Discharge head for fluid containers



Nov. 3, 1936. s. E. ALLEN 2,059,189

DISCHARGE HEAD FOR FLUID CONTAINERS Filed oct. 9; 1934 INVENTOR W- caT/quf/V N y f) BY v E U Mm l ATTORNEY v Patented Nov. 3, 1936 PATENT OFFIC DISCHARGE HEAD FOR FLUID CONTAINERS Scott E. Allen, Glen Ridge, N. J., assignor to C-O-Two Fire Equipment Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application October 9, 1934, Serial No. 747,561

5 Claims. (Cl. 169-11) The present invention relates to discharge heads of the type adapted to release a fluid from a-container in which the uid is held under compression.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel discharge head which is operable either by manual means or by fluid pressure or conjointly by both.

The invention is more particularly adapted for discharging containers holding carbon dioxide liquefied under pressure. Such liquids are usually contained in steel cylinders having discharge openings closed by sealing disks which have to be punctured or cut open to release the fluid. In certain discharge heads applied to carbon dioxide cylinders, a rotary cutter is provided which is operated by turning a hand wheel to cut the sealing disk. Sometimes it happens that the manual operation is not fully completed and the opening in the cylinder disk is not sufficient to provide a free discharge of the fluid. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a structure in which the rupturing or cutting of the disk may be initiated by manual operation, but as soon as any fluid is released it will operate to complete the cutting or puncturing of the disk, thereby insuring a complete opening. In other words, the operator is under no responsibility to effect complete turning of the hand wheel since as soon as any of the fluid is released, of which he will be apprised by the sound of the escaping fluid, he will be sure that the discharge head will complete the operation of making a full opening in the sealing disk.

A further object of the invention is to provide a discharge head of the character described above in which the entire operation may be performed by uid pressure from an outside source without any interference due to the manual operating means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of a preferred embodiment Vand thereafter the novelty and scope of the invention will be pointed out in the claims.

The accompanyingdrawing is a View in vertical section through a discharge head embodying my invention.

In the drawing a cylinder' I0 is fragmentally indicated, this cylinder being adapted to contain a highly compressed uid, such as carbon dioxide, Which is to be discharged under control of my improved -discharge head. The discharge head comprises three principal casing members as follows: A body member I I which is threaded into the neck of the container III; a cylinder member I2 which is secured to the body member by a coupling nut I3; and a cap member I 4 which is screwed upon the outer'end of the cylinder member I2. The body member is formed with a central bore I5 which is internally threaded near its lower end, as indicated at I6, to receive the usual Siphon tube (not shown) which depends from the discharge head to a point near the bottom of the cylinder. Above the threaded 10 part I6 there is a lateral port I'I tted with a check valve I8 through which the cylinder Ili may be filled. Another lateral port I9 is provided with a safety disk 20 normally sealing the port but adapted to yield to a predetermined ab- 15 normal pressure, such as might arise from certain temperature conditions.

The upper end of the bore I5 is enlarged, as at 22, and is threaded to receive a screw plug 23. This plug is formed with a central bore 20 which, however, is closed by a sealing disk 2li attached to the bottom of the plug. When the plug is screwed home it seats against an annular step 25 formed at the bottom of the enlargement 22.

The casing member I2 is formed with a cylindrical Working chamber 2I having a reduced lower extension 28. The latter communicates at its lower end with the enlargement 22 of bore I5. A piston 29 has a working t in the chamber 2'I and a tubular extension 39 of this piston ts into the extension 28. A piston ring 3| carried by the extension 3l] insures a gas-tight t between this extension and the bore 28.

A tubular cutter 32 is secured within the bore of the extension 3`and projects into the bore of the plug 23. This tubular cutter is adapted to be thrust through the plug into cutting engagement with the cylinder disk 24 so as to release the iluid from the cylinderv I). The fluid thus released may be passed through the hollow cutter and thence through ducts 34 formed in the piston to the chamberZI above the piston. This fluid will press the piston downward' against the action of a coil spring 35. A vent 36 permits escape of air from the bottom of the cylinder as the piston is forced downward.

The piston 29 is provided at its upper end with a stem 36 having an angular socket 3l therein. A correspondingly angled extension 38 of a vertical stem 39 has a sliding fit in the socket 3l. The stem passes up through a threaded bore 40 in the cap member I 4 and has a threaded portion 4I which engages the threads of the bore 4B. A suitable stuing box 42 serves to seal the joint between the stem 351 and the cap Msg/Jas to pre- Vent escape of uid The stem. 3i? is provided at its upper end with a hand wheel 43. In the side of the cap member I44th e is a threaded port 45 communicating with the cylinder 21 and in which a discharge line maybe screwed to carry oir the discharge from the container i0.

The operation of the discharge head will now be apparent. Since the piston 29 is vertically slidable with respect to the shaft 39 it will be evident thatthe piston may be depressed by the introduction of pressure fluid through port 45 into the top of the cylinder chamber 21. Thus, the sealing disk 24 may be punctured by the cutter 32 through the agency of fluid pressure controlled from a remote point, When it is desired to operate the discharge head manually, the hand wheel 43 is turned and, by reason of the threaded engagement between the stem 39 and cap memand cause the piston to be forced immediatelyand directly downward to complete the cutting of the disk. The operator, as soon as he hears the rush of escaping iiuid will know that he does not need to turn the hand wheel 43 further because the cutting will have been automatically completed by the escaping fluid itself. Thus, Ihave provided a discharge head in which full opening is always assured if there is any opening whatsoever in the sealing disk. By providing a cutter which is turned as it is manually forced downward, the cutting of the disk will be eiected with little expenditure of energy because there will be a shearing or a scoring action rather than a direct punching pressure.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is to be taken as illustrative and not limitative and that I reserve the right to make various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts as may fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

1. A discharge head for a container holding fluid under pressure, said container having an opening normally closed by a sealing disk, said head comprising a hollow body having'a discharge port, a cutter mounted in the body, manually rotatable means for advancing the cutter with a rotary motion to penetrate the disk and release said fluid into the body, and means operable by uid pressure for advancing the cutter to penetrate the disk without rotation unless the cutter is being simultaneously rotated by said manual means.

2. A discharge head for a container holding fluid under pressure, said container having an opening normally closed by a sealing disk, said head comprising a hollow body having a discharge port, a cutter mounted to rotate and to slide axially in the body, manually operable screw means for advancing and rotating the cutter to penetrate the disk and release said fluid into the body, and means operable by fluid pressure either independently of the manual means or conjointly therewith to advance the cutter and penetrate the disk.

3. A discharge head for a container holding fluid under pressure, said container having an opening normally closed by a sealing disk, said head comprising a hollow body having a discharge port, a cutter, a screw threaded in the body, a spring urging the cutter off the disk and against the screw, means compelling rotation of the cutter with the screw, means for turning the screw to rotate and depress the cutter so as to rupture the disk, and means operable by iluid pressure for moving the cutter axially with respect to the screw and causing the cutter to puncture the disk.

4. A discharge head for a container holding fluid under pressure, said container having an opening normally closed by a sealing disk, said head comprising a body formed with a cylinder chamber having a discharge port, a piston reciproca-ble in the chamber below the port, a tubular cutter xed to the piston and depressible thereby to rupture the disk and release said iiuid, the piston being formed with a passage for conducting the fluid therethrough to the top of the piston, means barring the uid from access to the underside of the piston, a vertical stem detached from the piston and projecting from the body, said stem being threaded in the body and arranged to bear downwardly against the piston, means for turning the stem to depress the piston and rupture the disk, and coacting means on the stem and piston for causing rotation of the cutter as it is depressed by rotation of the stem.

5. A discharge head for a container holding iluid under pressure, said container having an opening normally closed by a sealing disk, said head comprising a body formed with a cylinder chamber having a discharge port, a piston reciprocable in the chamber below the port, a tubular cutter depressible by the piston to rupture the disk and release said fluid, the piston being formed with a passage for conducting the fluid therethrough to the top of the piston, means barring the uid from access to the underside of the piston, a stem having an operating handle outside of the body and threaded through the body into the chamber, the piston being formed with a socket of angular section, the stem having an extension of corresponding section tting into but vertically slidable in the socket, and spring means normally urging the piston against the stem,

SCOTT E. ALLEN. 

